My goldfish died

Question
Ive had my goldfish for over a year i have a 3 gallon tank and one day i looked and my fish was on his side on the bottom dead his gils werent moving. He seemed to be ok the night before and actually i dont think he was fed for 2 days can a goldfish die for not being fed for 2 days and we have a air filter for him and i noticed it wasn't working i think it was clogged  but the filter was clogged before and never died. so i'm wondering why he died. he seemed to be healthy i feel so bad his mouth was opened to. i don't know what happened to him he seemed like his belly was bloated. i feel so bad my daughter got him for her birthday last year.we got him from someone so i cant say how old he was. could he have died of old age? if you have any answer for me please reply .I never measured or messed with the alkaline or amonia or tested the water ever he was always doing fine and such a little tank i was told you really didnt have to worry about  it.              Thank you,
                         Cindi

Answer
Hi Cindi;

Poor guy. I'm so sorry you lost him. Unfortunately, his tank was far too small. Goldfish are very messy guys that get over 6 inches long and need at least ten gallon tank with good filtration to live to their potential of 10 or more years. They produce so much waste that the oxygen level can drop pretty low if there isn't enough room and especially if the filter fails. Your little 3 gallon is much more suited to a Betta fish. If you want to keep another goldfish, get a ten gallon with a filter that hangs on the back of the tank. Here is more information about keeping goldfish and a link to my web page about breaking-in a new tank if you decide to get a bigger one;

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Here is info on keeping bettas if you decide to do that. They are very pretty and easily kept in a 3 gallon;

http://groups.msn.com/TheBettaObsession/newtobettasthisisforyou.msnw

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins